Function Sharing and Systematic Collaboration between a Networking Database System and Printed Media on Thermophysical Properties Data

Abstract

To improve the performance of devices, components, and systems where the control of heat and fluid flow are necessary, the quality and reliability of the thermophysical property data are of primary importance. Recently, the present authors have worked for both printed media, a new handbook, on thermophysical properties and a networking database system. From this experience, the authors realized different advantages of both tools and started to explore function sharing and collaboration of these tools. The present paper describes the conceptual trials although the study is in its early stage. The Thermophysical Properties Handbook edited by the Japan Society of Thermophysical Properties (JSTP) first published in 1990 was revised in 2008. It stores thermophysical properties of not only basic materials such as elements, basic chemicals, and compounds in fluid and solid phases but also materials for variety of application fields such as energy, chemical engineering, metallurgy, electronics, air conditioning, and so on. Although the handbook is published as the form of a printed book at present, JSTP has been digitalizing the thermophysical property data of the handbook and supplying them as content in a database. On this basis, JSTP and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) agreed to develop a network database system for thermophysical property data. It was realized that disadvantages of a computerized database exist against obvious advantages such as quick revising/upgrading, easy interpolation, and converting in graphical expressions. Both the printed media and the networking database system have different functions and advantages. The intention of the present paper is to explore more beneficial means to access reliable thermophysical property data for users, especially in industry.